RECRUIT, RETAIN & DEVELOP

Workforce Talent

Workforce Development

Industry Extension Services provides comprehensive workforce solutions that support your organization at every stage of the talent lifecycle—from attracting and recruiting new employees to developing and advancing your existing workforce.

We help companies strengthen their reputation and become employers of choice through strategic recruitment and employer-branding initiatives, connect with emerging talent through internships, career fairs and education partnerships, and prepare employees for success through work-based learning, education and skills development. Our customizable training programs help organizations upskill their workforce, strengthen leadership capabilities, and create pathways for employee growth and advancement.

Training is customized to meet your organization’s specific needs—from individual, à la carte courses and targeted skills development to multi-day certification programs and digital badging. Programs can also be integrated into broader organizational change and continuous improvement initiatives to address skills competency gaps, workforce development priorities, and evolving business needs.

Our programs support a wide range of audiences, including emerging leaders, frontline supervisors, mid-level leaders, senior executives, and C-suite professionals. Through our subscription-based learning platform, participants have 24/7 access to training content, skills-practice activities, templates, tools, and other resources—providing flexibility to engage with learning at every stage of their leadership journey.

Whether you are developing first-time leaders or strengthening the capabilities of experienced executives, a learning pathway can support your organization’s workforce and talent development goals.

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Workforce and Talent Development
Leadership Essentials for Frontline Leaders

In today’s competitive marketplace, companies face real challenges of engaging and retaining a talented workforce and achieving operational excellence. Frontline leaders are at the crossroads of both and have the greatest capacity to impact your company’s success in these critical areas. To succeed in this environment, they need essential skills and competencies to support their team’s development and engagement. NC State Industry Extension Services (IES) has partnered with Development Dimensions International (DDI) to offer an impactful leadership program that builds the key leadership skills and competencies essential to frontline leaders’ success.

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Who Should Participate in the Leadership Essentials Certificate Program?

Recently appointed supervisors or group leaders, and employees promoted from the ranks to frontline leadership roles who currently manage employees.

Participants benefit:

Participants will gain the knowledge to:

  • Enhance their leadership communications
  • Build the team’s capabilities and capacity through developmental delegations
  • Grow leadership capabilities using 360° feedback from employees, peers and supervisor
  • Effectively coach and develop employees to enhance productivity, efficiency and morale
  • Encourage people to take ownership of, and be accountable for, their work performance
  • Support ambitious change efforts in culture

    • The Individual Development Plan and Coaching

    The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is designed to provide frontline business leaders the opportunity to enhance their professional and personal leadership skills. Individual development is an essential component of leadership excellence because it increases competency in developing others and allows time for self-reflection using outcomes from self and group assessments. Moreover, to become a leader, one must have a personal vision and balance personal and professional commitments. The IDP helps participants articulate leadership excellence through self-improvement and developing a personal vision. Each participant will receive up to three (3) individual coaching sessions from a leadership coach to support their targeted development needs based on identified leadership strengths and gaps identified from personal assessments (DiSC) and feedback received from key stakeholders through the Leadership Mirror 360° Assessment.

    Developmental Feedback Leadership Mirror 360° Assessment

    Leadership Mirror® is DDI’s web-based multi-rater feedback assessment designed to provide a clear picture of individual strengths and development needs to support the development of key leadership skills and competencies. Each participant will complete the assessment, along with their supervisor and direct reports, to provide key insights into their existing strengths and opportunities for development. Participants will use the feedback to create an individual development plan to focus their efforts towards achieving the best results in their leadership growth. Please note that the Leadership Mirror 360° Assessment is designed to be used only for developmental feedback through this program and not for evaluating employee performance or promotions. All information obtained through this process is treated with the utmost confidentiality and only used for coaching and development of each participant.

    Program Modules

    Your Leadership Journey

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    This module equips new and prospective leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the challenges of their leadership journey. Participants explore the transitions that come with becoming a leader and learn strategies for handling them effectively. They are introduced to three leadership differentiators that help build a positive reputation, strengthen relationships and contribute to organizational success.

    Participants will:

  • Reduce the stress of shifting to leading others.
  • Act with authenticity to build trust.
  • Bring out the best in others to enhance engagement and capacity.
  • Look for and accept feedback with grace.

    • Duration:

    1 Day or 3 hours, 30 minutes (not including two 15-minute breaks)

    Format:

    Instructor-led

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15  minutes of pre-work.

    Recommended For:

    Informal and formal leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a course workbook including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Enhancing Your Leadership Style With Everything DiSC® Workplace Assessment

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    The Everything DiSC Workplace® assessment helps leaders better understand their communication and leadership styles while recognizing others’ preferences and perspectives. Through facilitated discussion and guided activities, participants explore how individual priorities, values and behaviors influence workplace relationships and team performance. They gain practical strategies to adapt their approach, strengthen collaboration and build more productive, engaged teams.

    Participants will:

  • Discover their DiSC management style.
  • Explore strategies for effective directing and delegating.
  • Learn to create motivating environments.
  • Deepen their ability to develop others based on each individual’s potential.
  • Improve their working relationship with their own manager.

    • Duration:

    1 Day (6 hours including two 10-minute breaks)

    Format:

    Virtual Instructor-led

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15-20 minutes of pre-work to complete an online assessment.

    Recommended For:

    Frontline leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a digital copy of their online DiSC Management® assessment report and course workbook, including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Communicating For Leadership Success

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    This module helps leaders communicate with greater clarity and effectiveness to build relationships and inspire action. Participants learn essential interaction skills for navigating the everyday challenges and opportunities they encounter in the workplace. They explore practical approaches to create meaningful conversations, strengthen connections and communicate in ways that support productive outcomes.

    Participants will:

  • Achieve results through others by building strong interpersonal relationships.
  • Plan for successful interactions with team members─in person and virtually.
  • Provide meaningful, supportive feedback that motivates team members and helps individuals improve their performance.
  • Impact business outcomes by consistently meeting the personal and practical needs of others.

    • Duration:

    1 Day or 3 hours, 30 minutes (not including two 15-minute breaks)

    Format:

    Instructor-led

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15  minutes of pre-work.

    Recommended For:

    Informal and formal leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a course workbook including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Delegating with Purpose

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    This module helps leaders use delegation to strengthen employee capabilities, increase engagement and expand team capacity. Participants learn how to identify tasks to delegate, select the right individuals and assess their capabilities and commitment. They also develop strategies for conducting effective delegation conversations, establishing appropriate decision-making authority, providing support and monitoring progress toward successful results.

    Participants will:

  • Achieve key business results by leveraging the entire team’s abilities.
  • Build the team’s capabilities and capacity through developmental delegations.
  • Free up time to focus on mission-critical responsibilities.
  • Delegate with increased confidence.

    • Duration:

    1 Day or 3 hours, 30 minutes (not including two 15-minute breaks)

    Format:

    Instructor-led

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15  minutes of pre-work.

    Recommended For:

    Informal and formal leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a course workbook including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Setting Goals and Reviewing Results

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    This module introduces a collaborative approach to goal setting and performance management that gives employees greater ownership of their work. Leaders learn how to use SMART goals to establish clear expectations, track progress and evaluate results fairly. The approach also helps leaders focus more effectively on coaching, development, and meaningful performance conversations throughout the performance cycle.

    Participants will:

  • Reduce the stress of shifting to leading others.
  • Act with authenticity to build trust.
  • Bring out the best in others to enhance engagement and capacity.
  • Look for and accept feedback with grace.

    • Duration:

    1 Day or 3 hours, 30 minutes (not including two 15-minute breaks)

    Format:

    Instructor-led

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15  minutes of pre-work.

    Recommended For:

    Informal and formal leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a course workbook including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Coaching for Peak Performance

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    This module equips leaders with practical coaching skills to help employees build capabilities, improve performance and achieve their goals. Participants learn three essential coaching techniques and explore how to apply them in both proactive and reactive conversations. They develop strategies for creating productive coaching interactions that encourage accountability, support development and help move people and teams forward.

    Participants will:

  • Encourage people to take ownership of and be accountable for, their work performance.
  • Create a work environment where people are comfortable taking on the risks associated with new responsibilities.
  • Boost morale, improve productivity, and increase profitability by coaching each person to peak performance.
  • Manage work performance issues in a fair, consistent manner.

    • Duration:

    1 Day or 3 hours, 30 minutes (not including two 15-minute breaks)

    Format:

    Instructor-led

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15  minutes of pre-work.

    Recommended For:

    Informal and formal leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a course workbook including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Addressing Poor Performance

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    This module equips leaders with the skills to address chronic performance issues that can affect productivity, morale and team effectiveness. Participants learn how to document performance concerns, communicate expectations and establish a clear path for improvement. They also explore strategies for providing ongoing feedback and support, as well as determining when formal consequences may be appropriate.

    Participants will:

  • Effectively address poor performance in a firm, fair and consistent manner.
  • Minimize the impact of chronic performance problems on people, productivity and profitability.
  • Provide problem performers with a clear understanding of what they must do to improve and the consequences of failing to do so.
  •  Encourage people to take ownership of, and be accountable for, improving their work performance.

    • Prerequisite:

    Communicating for Leadership Success and Coaching for Peak Performance

    Duration:

    1 Day or 3 hours, 30 minutes (not including two 15-minute breaks)

    Format:

    Instructor-led

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15  minutes of pre-work

    Recommended For:

    Informal and formal leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a course workbook including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Driving Change

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    This module prepares leaders to guide their teams through organizational change by turning resistance into commitment and encouraging employees to take ownership. Participants learn practical strategies for communicating change, addressing concerns and building support throughout the implementation process. They develop the skills and resources needed to create a more agile work environment where employees are prepared to adapt and embrace change.

    Participants will:

  • Accelerate the process of making change happen.
  • Minimize the potential negative effects change can have on productivity, morale and collaboration.
  • Turn resistance into commitment and inspire team members to take ownership of change.
  • Clearly communicate the business rationale and benefits of change for the team and the organization.

    • Prerequisite:

    Communicating for Leadership Success and Coaching for Peak Performance

    Duration:

    1 Day or 3 hours, 30 minutes (not including two 15-minute breaks)

    Format:

    Instructor-led

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15  minutes of pre-work

    Recommended For:

    Informal and formal leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a course workbook including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Executing Strategy at the Front Line

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    This module helps participants translate key leadership learnings into actionable next steps for their roles and organizations. Participants identify specific actions they can take to apply new skills and strengthen their leadership effectiveness. The module also provides an opportunity to evaluate the program and offer feedback that can inform future enhancements and ensure the experience continues to meet participants’ needs.

    Participants will:

  • Translate business strategy into action by connecting organizational priorities to clear, meaningful goals at the team and individual level.
  • Focus frontline leadership on what matters most by aligning daily activities, resources and decision-making with the organization’s highest-priority business objectives.
  • Establish clear goals and measures of success so employees understand what they are working toward, how progress will be measured and what successful performance looks like.
  • Build accountability and address performance gaps by setting clear expectations, providing timely feedback and confidently addressing situations when commitments and results are not met.

    • Duration:

    3 hours, 30 minutes (classroom), 3 hours (virtual)

    Format:

    Manager/Supervisors

    Course prep:

    Yes, 15  minutes of pre-work.

    Recommended For:

    Informal and formal leaders

    Participant materials:

    Each participant will receive a course workbook including job aids to assist with the application of the skills and content.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Electives to Support Your Unique Learning Needs

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    In addition, participants will have the opportunity to add up to two additional courses from DDI’s online curriculum and development content to supplement and customize their learning experience. These electives can be used to gain additional knowledge on topics outside the program’s scope or as make-up sessions if participants miss on-site sessions.

    DDI COURSE LIST

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Leadership Development
    Customized Leadership Development Options

    We offer a range of solutions that can be custom-combined to meet your specific business goals, including a subscription-based program through Development Dimensions International (DDI) self-paced online courses. Industry Extension Services (IES) will customize a talent development plan with a combination of instructor-led courses and self-paced courses to meet your organization’s leadership goals.

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    Build the Talent Your Organization Needs

    Create a Training Path that Fits Your Organization

    Your workforce development strategy shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Industry Extension Services (IES) works with your organization to identify talent needs, define development goals and build a customized training path designed around your people, priorities and business objectives.

    We combine IES instructor-led training, Development Dimensions International (DDI) self-paced courses and other learning opportunities to create a development experience that fits your organization—not the other way around.

    Through a DDI subscription, your organization can access a broad library of self-paced leadership development courses that employees can complete on their own schedule. IES helps you turn that library into a purposeful development pathway by selecting courses and combining them with instructor-led training based on your organization’s specific goals.

    Training paths can be designed for:

  • Emerging Leaders — Build the skills employees need to transition into leadership roles.
  • Frontline and Mid-Level Leaders — Strengthen communication, coaching, performance management and team leadership.
  • Experienced Leaders — Develop strategic leadership, change leadership and organizational effectiveness.
  • High-Potential Employees — Create intentional development opportunities for future leadership roles.
  • Organization-Wide Initiatives — Align learning with broader workforce, culture, performance or continuous improvement goals.

    • More Than a Course. A Development Strategy.

    IES can help you determine what your employees need to learn, how they should learn it and how individual courses fit together to support your larger organizational goals.

    Your customized plan may combine:

    IES Instructor-Led Training
    Interactive, facilitated learning focused on the skills and challenges most relevant to your organization.

    DDI Self-Paced Learning
    On-demand access to a wide range of leadership development courses, allowing employees to learn at their own pace and revisit resources when needed.

    Customized Learning Paths
    IES can curate a sequence of courses and experiences for specific employee groups, leadership levels or organizational priorities.

    Ongoing Development
    Build development into your workforce strategy rather than treating training as a one-time event.

    Your Organization. Your Goals. Your Training Path.

    Whether you need to develop first-time supervisors, strengthen your leadership pipeline, improve communication and coaching, build change leadership capabilities or support broader organizational transformation, IES can help you create a development plan tailored to your workforce.

    Explore DDI course offerings:

    https://media.ddiworld.com/solutions/ddi-leadership-courses.pdf

    See how a DDI Subscription works:

    https://360.articulate.com/review/content/92777752-e86b-4fc7-b42b-ad0afd1f9b1b/review

    View an example Customized Training Plan:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rZbuVc7DCIPnuLeLJHuqo6hIT18ERy3G/view?usp=drive_link

    Recommended For:

    Individuals seeking a foundational understanding of effective project management principles and practices.

    Contact your Regional Manager for more information and to build your customized workforce development plan.

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    Project Management
    Project Management

    Practical Project Management equips individuals—especially those new to project leadership—with the essential tools and techniques to manage projects effectively.

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    The Practical Project Management training teaches how to plan, execute, and close projects on time and within budget while leading high-performing teams. This hands-on training is ideal for “accidental” project managers or anyone seeking a strong foundation in project management fundamentals.

    Participants will:

  • Gain fundamental project management skills to effectively plan, execute and close projects
  • Learn to define project objectives, scope, schedule and budget
  • Develop strategies to build and lead high-performing project teams
  • Acquire methods to identify, evaluate and manage project risks and variances
  • Apply techniques to monitor progress, facilitate communication and capture lessons learned

    • Topics covered:

  • Project initiation, including project charters
  • Work breakdown structures, sequencing and critical path development
  • Team coordination, task execution and performance monitoring
  • Risk assessment, mitigation and issue management
  • Project closure, stakeholder review and post-project evaluation

    • Duration:

    7-8 Hours | 1 Day

    Format:

    Customized on-site or Virtual instructor-lead training (VILT)
    * Visit our courses webpage for scheduled open enrollment sessions

    Recommended For:

    Individuals seeking a foundational understanding of effective project management principles and practices.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    *Available as open enrollment course

    Marketing Launchpad
    Marketing for Recruiting Top Candidates

    Marketing for Recruiting focuses on improving your company’s reputation and visibility online to attract the most qualified job candidates.

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    Business Continuity
    Business Continuity

    ISO 22301 Gap Analysis prepares organizations to assess their current business continuity capabilities against the ISO 22301 standard and identify the actions needed to achieve certification.

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    Succession Planning
    Succession Planning

    This Succession Planning and Talent Development training equips leaders with the tools to ensure continuity, reduce risk, and prepare the next generation of leadership.

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    Succession Planning training will teach how to identify critical roles, develop high-potential talent and align succession planning with long-term business strategy.

    Participants will:

  • Identify critical roles and the leadership positions most vital to organizational success
  • Assess and develop high-potential employees for future leadership roles
  • Create practical succession and talent development plans aligned with business strategy
  • Reduce risk by preparing ready successors for key positions
  • Build a sustainable pipeline of leaders to support long-term growth

    • Topics covered:

  • Identifying critical positions and long-term workforce needs
  • Talent assessment tools, including the 9-Box Assessment
  • Developing targeted development plans for high-potential employees
  • Designing and executing a succession and talent development strategy
  • Aligning succession planning with organizational strategy and risk management

    • Duration:

    ???? How many days/hours?

    Format:

    Customized on-site, in-person training

    Recommended For:

    Senior leaders and executives, HR professionals and talent managers, department heads and team leaders or anyone involved in organizational strategy and workforce development succession planning strategy.

    Contact your Regional Manager to schedule.

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    Rural Works! Internship Program

    Rural Works! connects talented NC State students with employers in rural North Carolina through paid internships that address real-world business and workforce needs. The program gives rural employers access to emerging engineering talent who can contribute fresh perspectives, technical expertise and solutions to meaningful projects—while helping students gain valuable experience and discover career opportunities in rural communities.

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    Manufacturing Career Fair

    NC State University Industry Extension Services (IES) and the NC State University Career Services Department have partnered to host a career, internship and co-op fair to help North Carolina manufacturers. Only manufacturing organizations will be invited.

    This event connects manufacturers with students across engineering, sciences, business, textiles and other disciplines who are seeking internships, co-ops and full-time career opportunities. The event will be promoted to more than 5,000 NC State students, providing an excellent opportunity to strengthen your talent pipeline and increase your company’s visibility on campus.

    Contact your Regional Manager for more information.

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    On-Demand Training

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